Jerry Dipoto "checked off two boxes" on his winter to-do list with his first trade as Angels general manager Wednesday, adding catching depth and a player with a strong on-base percentage with his acquisition of Chris Iannetta from the Colorado Rockies. But did he add another item by sending 21-year-old right-hander Tyler Chatwood to Colorado for Iannetta, a 28-year-old with a .357 on-base percentage in six big league seasons? The Angels don't have much depth beyond their big league rotation, and they parted with one of their top two pitching prospects in Chatwood, who struggled with his command in 2011 but showed much promise with his 95-mph fastball and big overhand curveball.

The three words have chilled Angels fans seemingly every night for the last month, blaring into their homes, echoing through their television sets, a high-definition taunt. For Texas Rangers fans, it is a chant. For Angels fans, it is a cringe. Nap! Oh! Lee! The three words form the name of Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli, and all through town you can hear shoes flying through screens. Through five games of the World Series, Napoli is the MVP, and Angels fans are all OMG. For five years, he was their catcher.

The Angels worked their way quickly through the unavoidable charade Friday and sent the loudest message possible to their fans. Being a late-season contender isn't enough. Sitting at home in October, watching pinstripes and Texans on TV, won't cut it. Having the ever-present great fan experience and welcoming 40,000 to every home game is nice, but not the whole goal. General Manager Tony Reagins resigned Friday. The announcement came at 2:18 p.m. PDT. The official face-the-music was handled in a hastily arranged conference call with Reagins and team President John Carpino at 3. There was no face to face.

It wouldn't seem like such a bad trade if Vernon Wells, the player he was dealt for, wasn't batting a paltry .218 and didn't have a bloated contract that guarantees him $81 million through 2014. Or if those catching for the Angels, his primary position in Anaheim from 2006 to 2010, weren't among the least productive in baseball, combining to bat .191 with 10 homers and 48 RBIs. Or if the Angels had an offensive force such as him they could plug regularly into the designated hitter spot, one with a high on-base percentage who hits in the clutch.

Look at the bright side, Angels fans. At least you won't have to watch the Texas Rangers dance all over your team's turf next week. The Angels spared themselves and their followers that indignity Friday night when they lost to the Oakland Athletics, 3-1, and were eliminated from the American League West race. The Rangers beat Seattle, 5-3, earlier Friday and watched the Angels-A's game with their fans on the video board at the Ballpark in Arlington. When Oakland escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the eighth and held on for the win, Texas clinched its second consecutive division title and rendered its season-ending three-game series in Angel Stadium beginning Monday moot.

The Angels on Sunday reached agreement on a five-year, $85-million contract extension with Jered Weaver , extinguishing fears among the team's fans that the ace right-hander would leave as a free agent after the 2012 season. The deal, which will be officially announced Tuesday in a 2 p.m. news conference, reportedly includes a full no-trade clause and will keep Weaver, who was entering his final year of arbitration this winter, in Anaheim through 2016. The deal, with an average annual value of $17 million, will make Weaver, 28, the highest-paid pitcher in franchise history.

Three weeks ago, with the Texas Rangers clinging to a two-game lead in the American League West, General Manager Jon Daniels addressed his team's most glaring need by trading for relievers Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. The Angels' Tony Reagins, meanwhile, did nothing. The message couldn't have been clearer. The Rangers were going places while the Angels were standing pat. The Rangers were rolling the dice while the Angels would play the cards they had been dealt. The Rangers were all in while the Angels were all talk.

Players are quick to say they do what they do for the fans (along with, in many instances, an enormous paycheck). So which teams have the best fans? Times staff writer Kevin Baxter offers his opinion about the cities with the 10 best and worst fan bases in baseball. Standing 'O' Team (average home attendance); comment 1. Boston (37,666) Red Sox Nation not only fills Fenway, where there have been 690 consecutive sellouts, but the team's fans travel, too. 2. St. Louis (38,023)

Reporting from Seattle The Angels, who had lost nine of 11 games as they embarked on a 12-game trip in which they will touch all four corners of the country and travel 6,822 miles, needed this. General Manager Tony Reagins, who is feeling heat for his January trade that brought Vernon Wells and the four years and $81 million left on his contract to Anaheim, needed this. Hitting instructor Mickey Hatcher, the object of harsh criticism from fans calling for his firing amid the drought-like conditions surrounding the team's offense, needed this.

Friends, Romans, Angels fans. Lend me your ears. We come to bury your team, not praise it. It is time. We wish we could report that Angel Stadium remains the happiest place on earth, even though that other place with all the mouse ears is just down the street. The Angels' once magic kingdom is still trying. Generally, the fans are happy, doing their silly wave and still buying tickets, although more empty seats appeared as soon as the Yankees left town. Generally, the announcers are happy.